Introduction

Variables play a pivotal role in developing eLearning content. It offers a range of functionalities that enhance interactivity, personalization, and overall learner engagement. By leveraging variables, developers can create dynamic and responsive learning experiences tailored to individual learner needs. This article explores the practical use cases of variables in Adobe Captivate, showcasing their importance and versatility in eLearning development.

Importance of Variables in eLearning Development

Variables are essential in eLearning as they enable the creation of adaptive and personalized learning experiences. They allow developers to store, retrieve, and manipulate data, leading to more interactive and learner-centric content. Variables facilitate the tracking of learner progress, customization of learning paths, and incorporation of gamification elements, making the learning process more engaging and effective.

Definition and Types of Variables in Adobe Captivate

In Adobe Captivate, variables are data holders that store values which can be used and manipulated throughout the course. There are two main types of variables:

• System Variables: Predefined by Captivate, these variables control the behavior and display of system-related information. The system variables are categorized into three sub-categories, which store the information about the project, quizzes, and system. The following are examples of all three types of system variables:
  • DateDDMMYYis a system variable that returns the date in dd/mm/yyyy format. This variable is categorized under system information.
  • Scorereturns the number of points that are scored in a quiz. This variable is categorized under quizzing.
  • ClosedCaptions is a system variable used to show or hide the project’s closed captions. This variable is categorized under project information.
• User Variables: Defined by the developer, these variables store custom data input by the learner or generated during the course. The name you assign to a user variable must not conflict with Adobe Captivate’s internal functions, reserved keywords, exposed system variables, or other hidden variables.

Variable data types in Adobe Captivate

Adobe Captivate supports three data types for variables.

• Number: The Number variable stores numeric values. Number data types are commonly used to report quiz scores, track user progress, perform mathematical operations, or gamify.
• True or False: True or False or Boolean variables contain a true or false value. Use this variable type to create conditional interaction logic, track user choice, or branching.
• String: The String variable stores text values. String variables store characters, such as words or sentences. Use this variable type to capture text-based input, display feedback messages, or hold locale-based content.

Utilizing Variables with Interactions

In the all-new Adobe Captivate, variables can be seamlessly integrated and manipulated to enhance interactivity, using Interactions encompassing triggers, conditions, and actions.

• Triggers: An interaction begins with a trigger, which defines the actions to be executed based on specific events. Actions can be set to triggers such as click, double-click, hover, slide enter, slide exit, bookmarks, etc.
• Conditions: Conditions allow you to create specific checks or rules that must be validated before executing certain actions. These are optional when creating an interaction.
• Actions: Actions are the tasks executed in response to a trigger. Adobe Captivate offers various actions, such as displaying or hiding objects, playing audio, launching a URL, or executing JavaScript. By incorporating variables, developers can dynamically control these actions, adjusting, assigning, and toggling variable values to manage complex interactions and navigation paths.

Use Case 1: Navigation Control

Controlling Navigation Based on Learner’s Activity Completion

By using variables, developers can control navigation within a course based on the completion of specific activities. For instance, a variable can track whether a learner has completed a quiz or visited a particular slide, enabling conditional navigation.

In the example below, learners are required to click or tap the icons to access the FAQ information.

Each time an icon is selected, the corresponding variable is assigned a value, typically incremented by one. Textual information is displayed when the variable reaches a specified value for the selected icon. By using the “Assign Variable” action instead of “Adjust Variable,” the order of icon visits can be controlled. Furthermore, the “Next” button will only navigate the learner to the subsequent slide if the variable equals a predetermined value, ensuring all FAQs are visited. This method allows developers to effectively manage navigation using variables.

The following table shows the Slide Interactions used.

Use Case 2: Customizing Learning Paths

Adapting Content Based on Learner Choices

Variables can adapt learning paths based on learner choices, directing learners to different course sections according to their preferences. This ensures learners receive content suited to their knowledge level, enhancing the learning experience.

In the example below, learners are required to click or tap the different characters corresponding to different learning paths.

Each time a character is selected, the string variable “diy” checks if the value matches the character’s name and navigates the learner to the corresponding learning path. The “diy” variable is set using OR conditions upon the slide enter interaction. This ensures that as soon as the learner visits this slide, the “diy” variable includes all three names. If the variable matches “Samantha,” the corresponding learning path will be displayed.

The following table shows the Slide Interactions used.

Use Case 3: Personalization

Inserting Learner-Specific Information with Variables

Variables allow the insertion of personalized information, such as the learner’s name, department, or job role, creating a more engaging and relevant experience. For example, a variable can store the learner’s name and display it throughout the course.

In the example below, learners must enter their names in the input field to continue learning.

Once the learner enters their name and clicks outside the input field, the “Objectives” button will be enabled, displaying the list of objectives. The learner’s name is captured in a variable called LMS_LearnerName.

To display the learner’s name on the next slide, use the variable LMS_LearnerName with double dollar sign $$ as prefix and suffix.

The output upon navigating to the next slide.

The following table shows the Slide Interactions used.

Use Case 4: Gamification Elements

Displaying Badges and Achievements Depending on Learner’s Score

Incorporating gamification elements, such as badges and achievements, can be achieved using variables. By tracking scores and milestones, variables can dynamically display achievements, motivating learners to engage and complete the course.

In the example below, the quiz score variable stores the total number of points scored in the quiz, and the levels variables store information about levels. The achievement badge displayed on the Achievement screen will correspond to the points scored: a score below 30 will display level 1, a score between 30 and 60 will display level 2, and a score above 70 will display level 3.

Before this screen is presented to the learner, their results will be displayed on the preceding screen, allowing the developer to set the aforementioned conditions.

The following table shows the Slide Interactions used for The Quiz Results screen.

The following table shows the Slide Interactions used for the Achievements screen.

Use Case 5: Populating Learner Input in a Different Format

Getting Input from Learners and Populating It in a Different Format

Variables can capture learner input and display it in various formats. For example, the basic details of a learner can be captured through input fields and dropdowns, which can be presented in different formats.

In the example below, the learner’s details are captured using an interactive component input field and displayed as a bio on the next screen.

The input entered in the input field is captured in variables, which are used on the next screen to present the information captured from the learner in the form of a bio. To capture the information from the input field in variables, the following settings are adjusted in the Visual properties inspector of the input field:

• Input Type – Text: This setting ensures that the input is strictly text-based, excluding any numerical characters.
• Case Sensitivity: Enabling case sensitivity ensures that the data entered by the user is displayed exactly as input, preserving the original letter casing.
• Variable – Name: This string-type variable is designated to store the information entered in the input field.
• Unlimited Attempts: This allows the learner to enter their input unlimited times.

Simple interactions without variables are used for buttons, Submit and Next only.

Use Case 6: Progress Indicator

Showing Progress within the Course

Variables can track and display learner progress. For instance, once a learner completes a section, a variable can mark it as complete on the menu page, visually indicating progress and encouraging course completion.

In the example below, the four sections are presented to the learner on the initial screen with instructions for selecting Section 1 provided at the top. Each section is associated with a variable initially set to false. When the learner selects and completes Section 1, its variable is set to true, unlocking the next section and setting its variable to false. As the learner progresses through each section and completes the quizzes, the variables for those sections are set to true, thereby unlocking subsequent sections.

Each page within a section also has a variable initially set to false. When the learner visits a page, its variable is set to true, contributing to setting the main section variable to true. This process is managed through variables and states for various elements, including sections, user instructions, and the section names displayed below the section icons.

The following table shows the Slide Interactions used for the overview screen.

Conclusion

The use of variables in Adobe Captivate significantly enhances the functionality and interactivity of eLearning courses. By enabling personalized experiences, adaptive learning paths, and dynamic content delivery, variables play a vital role in creating engaging and effective learning environments. Whether it’s controlling navigation, customizing content, personalizing interactions, adding gamification elements, managing learner inputs, or tracking progress, the practical applications of variables are vast and impactful. Embracing these capabilities allows eLearning developers to create courses that not only meet educational objectives but also provide an enriched and engaging learning experience for all learners.